The Rodbenders of Stubs Forge Pond

[Vagabond]

Species Hunt 2007 No 12 Wels catfish and No 13 Sturgeon (Sterlet)

After the tiddler snatching at Cow Gap on Wednesday, I wanted to put a decent bend in a rod somewhere, and chose Stub Forge Pond, just north of East Grinstead.

Leaving home at 7.20 (the fishery opens at 8am) I caught the fringe of the rat race converging on the M23 – nose to tail through the East Grinstead bypass, gridlock at Felbridge traffic lights. … and these poor souls do this EVERY week-day. A swift left-turn into a country lane left it all behind – well, almost – the fishery lies behind an industrial estate, and right under the flight-path from Gatwick airport.

Never mind, remove the hearing aid (being deaf has just a few advantages), chose a side from which I can’t see the container lorries, and concentrate on my swim. Magic – I’m in a world of my own immediately.



Put a couple of lobworms on a float ledger rig close to the lily pads on the top right, and with the left-hand rod fished two more lobworms lift-method in a deepish marginal swim. It is important here to fish the margins before the day-shift (ie those who fish from 9 to 5) comes tramping round the pond.

Sure enough, I had a result within ten minutes – the left-hand float disappeared – nothing fancy like a “lift” bite, just the float gone and the rod doing its best to follow it. The rod arched and bucked – yes, a decent fish on – playing deep, not fast but a dogged relentless pull.

Slugged it out for about fifteen minutes, then at last I was gaining line, and a leprous creamy-yellow flank showed deep. I already had the net in place, just a matter of bringing the fish’s nose right up to the spreader block, else she might curl a tail back over the net rim. She’s there – LIFT, take the bale arm off, swing the net over the unhooking mat, and there is my wels catfish for this year’s hunt.

A couple of pictures, and return the cat.




Out with more lobworms, but now came a nuisance carp that I did not bother to photograph.

The carp were persistent, and ran me out of lobworms.

Time for Plan B. Size 4 hooks, and free-lined lumps of luncheon meat to try for a sturgeon. Sturgeon are greedy devils, so no mucking about with small baits – Cut the luncheon meat into one-inch squares, each a quarter–inch thick . Thread six such squares onto the hook - that gives a composite lump of meat of 1 x 1 x 1.5 inches. Much better than trying to put a single lump on all at once (unless you prefer to thread the bait before tying on the hook – which is a lot of hassle every cast)

Freelined the two luncheon-meat baits at the bottom of the shelf. After half an hour, off went the left-hand rod, and on striking, I felt lively resistance. No catfish this, more like a miniature submarine at full throttle. The fish was determined to reach bankside overhanging bushes , and as fast as you turned it from one margin it would make a semi-circular run for the bank on your other side. I had dipped my second rod early in the fight, but was ever conscious of the danger of the fish fouling the other line – one of the disadvantages of using two rods.

However, at last the fish was ready for the net, and here she is.


No sooner had the photo been taken and the fish returned, than the other rod was off, the baitrunner whirring, and the rod-tip kicking in the marginal weeds (remember I had dipped this rod). This was a slightly smaller sturgeon


Well, I thought, three points in the bag, time to go carp-fishing with floating mixers.

So downwind to dog-biscuit corner I went.


Set up a free-lined dog biscuit on the right-hand rod, all ready to drop in by the marginal flags, and started to trickle a few freebie mixers in. The left-hand rod I baited with luncheon meat again.

Soon a carp or two showed interest in the free dog biscuits, so in went some more. I was hoping a bigger-than-average carp might come to the biscuits. Yes! That swirl looked like a good fish, time to “dip me biscuit”.

I now realised I had made a strategic error as far as the carp were concerned. The left hand rod suddenly roared into action, the baitrunner yielding line like there was no tomorrow. Dropping the right-hand rod, I struck, and encountered the fiercest resistance of the day. The fish ran nearly the length of the pond, then turned, and made a determined run for dog-biscuit corner. Into the flags it crashed, and then lashed furiously at the surface – putting an end to hopes of catching a carp there in the immediate future.

This was the biggest and angriest sturgeon of the day. Run followed run. My arms were aching well by the time I netted it.


Rather carelessly (I was a bit tired by now) I took its picture, not realising I had cropped the tail out of the picture, but at 45 inches long that sturgeon was some consolation for scuppering my carp fishing.

[perch_king]

well done mate nice report and pics there off the cat and sturge

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Well done on the fish and another cracking read

[Norfolkboy]

Some great fish there Vagabond, well done!!

[mithrandir]

excellent report and some smashing fish. well done

[pingu]

top fishing there vagabond 2 species I have never had

mm east grinstead sounds like somewhere to try next time i'm at mums

is it a day ticket water??

well done

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by pingu

is it a day ticket water??

Yep, 11 squid for two rods. Get there early - on the stroke of 8am.

[pingu]

sounds good and is 8 squid cheaper than bury hill cheers vagabond

[Banana Steve]

WOW, looks like a Fantastic venue, well done on the fish.

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by pingu

sounds good and is 8 squid cheaper than bury hill

£19 ...'cos I will have to go to Bury Hill for a zander (cheaper than £40 of petrol going to the fens!) sometime soon.

Haven't fished Bury Hill before - have you any advice?